At present, there are known apparatus for propelling the weft thread carriers in a travelling-wave loom.
In these known apparatus there are provided closed stationary guideways having rectilinear and curvilinear portions and endless chain conveyers accommodated in these guideways and carrying two types of elements. Some of the elements are adapted to cooperate with the weft thread carriers moving in the shed, whereas other elements find lodgement in holes of the very same carriers when the latter move outside the shed along the stationary guideway. On the outside of the stationary guideway, to match the rectilinear and curvilinear portions thereof, is a side wall serving as a guideway for a lateral side of the weft thread carrier. At its curvilinear portions this wall is L-shaped in cross-section, and one end thereof is secured on the guideway, while the other free end is directed towards the weft thread carriers. On the carrier lateral side interacting with this side wall there is an arcuate recess receiving the free edge of the side wall during movement of the carrier along the curvilinear portions of the guideway.
As has been mentioned above, for the carriers to travel outside and inside the shed, use is made of two types of elements. This makes the structure of the chain conveyor complicated and the movement of the carriers difficult. Thus, the elements propelling the weft thread carriers outside the shed enter respective holes in the carriers and, due to multiple displacements, introduce fluff thereinto. As a result, the holes are clogged with fluff and the elements are seized in the holes. Besides, after the carriers emerge from the shed at the place where the elements enter the holes, the former move in the guideways at a gap occupied by the warp threads during movement in the shed. This causes misalignment of the elements and the carriers and leads to improper operation of the mechanism and to bumps.